Magnetic properties of synthetic Ni3Si2O5(OH)4 nanotubes

The present study focuses on the magnetic properties of the nanotubular Ni 3 Si 2 O 5 (OH) 4 pecoraite, the structural analogue of chrysotile, obtained by hydrothermal synthesis. The cell parameters of the material, determined by X-ray diffraction, are , , and . The element analysis revealed the decrease of the Ni:Si ratio after hydrothermal treatment. The synthesized nanotubes have bigger outer and inner diameters in comparison to chrysotile. Using a vibration sample magnetometer, we determined the temperature of the ferromagnetic transition (23.7 K), of the ion in pecoraite and the blocking temperature (18 K).